Door latch and lock



Dec. 1, 1959 H. w. FALK 2,915,329

DOOR LATCH AND LOCK Filed Feb. 14, 1958 INVENTOR 3 35 flare/d n Fa/lr United States Patent DOOR LATCH AND LOCK Harold W. Falk, Minneapolis, Minn.,

Products, Inc., Minnesota assignor to Wright St. Paul Park, Minn., a corporation of This invention relates to an improvement in door latch and lock and deals particularly with the construction and assembly of a pivoted door handle which may function as a latch and lock.

With the increase in the building of homes and the like, door latches and locks are being produced in great quantity. Because of the number of companies involved in the manufacture of items of this type, they have become extremely competitive and the cost of manufacture and assembly is of great importance in determining the price for which such items must sell. An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a very simple door handle including a latchprojection which can be rotated into or out of engagement with a keeper, and in the specific construction and assembly of this device.

In order to be neat in appearance, door handles are usually provided with escutcheon plates which encircle the shank of the handle and overlie the opening through the door. In order to be decorative and to be formed in an attractive shape, complicated dies are normally required. In the present construction, the escutcheon plate proper is constructed of very light weight metal which may be stamped out to the proper form at low cost and without much difficulty. In order to provide the proper strength, a less complicated piece is formed of thicker material which underlies the portions of the escutcheon plate which may be subjected to,wear or compression.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an external lock which may be easily operated and which is engageable with a locking plate mounted upon the escutcheon plate. The mounting plate is a separate piece of material as more strength is required than would be normally provided by the escutcheon plate itself.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a simple door handle construction and including an escutcheon through which the handle shank extends and in reinforcing the plate by an internal plate and an external plate which sandwich the intermediate portion of the escutcheon plate therebetween. The outer plate, which forms a part of the locking mechanism, includes projecting means which extend through the escutcheon plate and engage the inner reinforcing plate to hold these parts normally assembled. These three parts of the apparatus engage together with a snap fit so that they can be merely pressed together and thus assembled.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a locking plate which lies externally of the escutcheon plate and is punched to provide an integral sleeve which extends through a center opening in the escutcheon plate and is spun or riveted over on the inside of this plate to fasten these two parts rigidly together. Relative rotation is prevented by means of spaced ears on the reinforcing plate which extend through the escutcheon plate and serve as a means of attaching the inner reinforcing plate.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the spaced ears are arranged on opposite sides of the handle shank and serve a plurality of purposes. A disc is mounted upon the handle shank for rotation in unison therewith, this disc having a pair of opposed notches which are separated by opposed projections. The spaced ears or projections arein the path of movement upon the opposed projections on the disc and thus limit rotation of the handle shank. Angularly bent ears are provided on the disc and a wire spring encircles the handle shank and has its ends arranged on opposite sides of the angularly bent ear and on opposite sides of one of the spaced ears forming a part of the outer reinforcing plate. Rotation of the handle shank in either direction increases the tension on the spring.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the spring encircling the handle shank is held centered with respect thereto by transversely extending shoulders on the handle shank which are slightly narrower than the inner diameter of the spring. These shoulders also form a projection against which the disc engages to hold the disc from axial sliding movement upon the handle shank.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a generally U-shaped yoke which is pivotally attached to opposite sides of the handle at a point near the pivotal attachment of the handle with the escutcheon plate and its reinforcing plates. Shoulders are provided on this U-shaped member which are engageable with suitable locking projections on the outer reinforcing plate to prevent rotation of the handle when the U-shaped locking member is in this locking position. The U- shaped member is pivotally supported for movement between two extreme positions, and means are provided for holding the U-shaped member in either extreme position.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the lock is so assembled that the pivotal attachment between the U-shaped locking member and the handle also serves as a means of locking the handle upon the handle shank. The pivotal connection includes a pivot extending through a sleeve, the sleeve extending through the handle and through a notch in the handle shank, the notch preventing longitudinal movement of the shank relative to the handle when the bearing sleeve is in place.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a lock showing the general arrangement of parts therein.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the latch, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the handle detached from the remaining part of the apparatus, the position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the escutcheon plate with the inner reinforcing member illustrated in dotted outline, the view showing the handle in normal position.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the escutcheon plate with the inner reinforcing member removed, showing the latch handle in unlatching position.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inner reinforcing member supported within the escutcheon plate.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the escutcheon plate.

Figure 9 is a bottom perspective view of the outer reinforcing plate.

The latch and lock structure is shown in its most complete form in Figure 2 of the drawings and is indicated in general by the letter A. In general, the latch includes a latch handle which extends in a generally radial direction from a hub 11. The hub is provided with a rounded projection 12 extending therefrom in a direction opposite the handle 10. The projection 12 forms the latch which is normally engageable with the cross bar 13 of a resilient strike plate 14. The cross bar 13 is resiliently supported for movement toward or away from the surface of the stop 15 or other portion of the frame B upon which it is mounted. I

As will be later described more in detail, the hub 11 engages one end of a handle shank 16 which extends through the door C. The handle shank 16 may extend freely through an aperture 17 drilled through the door normal to the door surfaces. A door knob 19 of suitable type is supported in anydesiredmanner on the extremity of the shank 16 to permit rotation of the handle 10 from the side of the door C opposite the handle 10 so as to disengage the latching projection 12 from the strike plate bar 13.

The lock A includes an escutcheon plate 20 including flat end portions 21 and 22 which are connected by offsets 23 and 24 to a fiat central portion 25 which is spaced at a greater distance from the surface of the door than the remainder of the escutcheon. The entire periphery of the escutcheon plate is encircled by a flange 26 which is at substantially right angles to the flat surfaces 21 and 22 and 25 and serve to provide a hollow enclosure for accommodating certain of the interior mechanism. The fiat end portions 21 and 22 are provided with apertures 27 therethrough, these apertures being surrounded by frusto-conical portions of the metal so that the screws 29 fastening the escutcheon plate in place may be countersunk. The raised central portion 25 of the plate is provided with a central aperture 30 which is designed to accommodate the handle shank 16. The raised portion 25 of the plate is also provided with a pair of parallel slots 31 extending therethrough on opposite sides of the central aperture 30 for a purpose which will be later described.

An outer reinforcing plate 32 overlies the raised central portion 25 of the escutcheon plate and is generally rectangular in form having a pair of spaced parallel ears 33 extending at right angles thereto, these cars being properly proportioned to extend through the slots 31 of the escutcheon plate. The reinforcing plate 32 also includes an integral sleeve 34 projecting downwardly from the center thereof, this sleeve 34 fitting through the aperture 30 of the escutcheon plate. The lower end of the sleeve 34 is spun or riveted over so as to hold the reinforcing plate 32 in surface contact with the central portion 25 of the escutcheon plate.

The reinforcing plate 32 is also provided with a pair of spaced cars 35 projecting upwardly therefrom in substantially right angles to the remainder of the plate and outwardly from the central portion 25 of the escutcheon plate. These cars 35 form locking projections which assist in holding the handle from rotation when the latch is in locked position as will be later described. A disc 36 is mounted upon the handle shank 16 for rotation in unison therewith. The shank 16 is shown as being rectangular in cross section and the disc 36 is provided with a'rectangular aperture 37 which accommodates the shank. The disc 36 is held from axial movement upon the handle shank by laterally projecting shoulders 3% on the shank which serve the double purpose of holding the disc in place and also serve to some extent as a guide for the handle spring which will be described. The disc 36 is provided with arcuate projections 40 on diametrically opposite sides thereof, these projections 40 being designed to engage the cars 33 on the outer reinforcing plate which project into the escutcheon plate. The disc 36 also includes a pair of cars 41 which are bent into right angular relation with the remainder of the disc and which are of approximately the same width as the cars 33, the ends of the projections being slightly wider than the remainder thereof. A spiral spring 42 encir les the handle shank 16 and when in place, the ends 43 and 44 of the spring 42 cross and are engaged on oppoiste sides of the car 41 on one side of the disc 36. The ends 43 and 44 of the spring are also long enough to extend past the adjoining ear 33 which remains in fixed position. The arrangement is such that rotation of the handle shank in either direction produces a winding action upon the spring 42 tending to return the handle 10 to its central position. The manner in which this is accomplished is believed evident from an examination of Figure 6 of the drawings. The engagement of the spring ends beneath the wider extremity of the car 41 holds the spring 42 from axial movement until it is confined.

The inner reinforcing plate for the escutcheon is best illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings and includes a flat central portion 48 which is connected to oppositely directed end portions 45. These end portions 45 are bent to provide channel shaped structures including generally parallel sides 46, the edges 47 of which are substantially in a plane parallel to the plane of the flat center portion 48. Apertures 49 are provided in the ends 45 to permit the passage of the fastening ,screws 29 of the escutcheon plate and a central aperture 59 through the central portion 48 permits the free rotation of the shank 16. Shoulder members 51 are provided on opposite sides of the central opening which are designed to engage against the ends of the cars 33 of the outer reinforcing plate. Outwardly projecting knobs or projections 52 on the ends of the ears 33 engage over the shoulders 51 and assist in holding the parts assembled. The escutcheon plate is assembled by inserting the ears 33 of the outer reinforcing p.ate through the spaced slots 31 of the escutcheon plate and forcing the sleeve 34 through the aperture 30 of the plate. The end of the sleeve 34 is then riveted over to permanently connect these parts.

The handle shank 16 hearing the disc 36 is then inserted through the sleeve 34, and the spring 42 is positioned to encircle the projections 39 on the handle shank. The spring is flexed until the ends 43 and 44 are in crossed relation and these spring ends are then engaged on opposite sides of the car 41 and car 33 on one side of center.

The lock which is employed for locking the latch from rotation is indicated in general by the numeral 53. As indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the member 53 is generally U-shaped in form including slightly diverging sides 55 and 56 and a connecting base portion 57. As is best shown 'in Figure 2 of the drawings, the sides 55 and 56 are provided with locking shoulders 60 which may pivot into or out of engagement with the cars 35 of the outer reinforcing member 32.

In order to hold the hub 11 of the handle it) engaged upon the handle shank 16, a bearing sleeve 61 extends through the hub and through a notch 62 in the handle shank 16 which prevents longitudinal movement of the handle shank relative to the hub. A pivot pin 63 extends through the bearing sleeve 62 and through the sides 55 and 56 of the locking member 53 to p ivotally connect the locking member to the hub. The shape of the handle is such as to limit the swinging movement of the locking member 53 between two extreme positions.

In order to hold the locking member 53 in locked or unlocked position, a spring 64 is interposed in the aperture accommodating the handle shank 16 beyond the end of this shank, the spring 64 bearing against the end of the shank. This spring 64 is designed to urge a ball bearing 65 against the connecting end 57 of the locking member 53. A transverse rib 59 is provided on the connecting member 57, this rib being engageable on either side of the ball 65. When the locking member 53 is in one extreme position, the ball 65 is on one side of the rib 59 and when the locking lever is in locked position, the ball is on the opposite side of the rib 59. Thus, the ball 65 holds the lock 53 in either extreme position.

From the foregoing description it should be clear that the lock is extremely simple in its assembly and each of the parts of the apparatus are carefully designed to serve a multiplicity of purposes. The outer reinforcing member 32 serves to reinforce the center portion of the escutcheon plate and to form a bearing through which the handle shank may extend. As is indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the hub 11 of the handle is provided with a reduced diameter portion 70 which fits within the sleeve 34 with a running fit. This reinforcing plate also has spaced ea-rs 33 which hold the plate from rotation, serve as stops for the limiting of the rotation of the handle, and also serve as an anchor for one end or the other of the handle operating spring. These same cars 33 also serve as a means of detachedly engaging the inner anchoring plate or reinforcing member shown in Figure 7 to hold this reinforcing plate assembled with the escutcheon plate.

The pivot structure of the locking mechanism acts not only as a pivot for the lock but also as a means of locking the handle upon the handle shank. The handle shank aperture through the hub 11 serves a dual capacity in supporting the shank 16 and also supporting the spring 64 which urges the ball bearing 65 against the center portion of the locking member.

The projection 12 of the handle is such as to act as a cam to retract the cross member 13 of the resilient strike plate 14 during the door closing operation. After the door is closed, the handle is turned in one direction or the other in order to release it from the cross member 12.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in door latch and lock, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A door latch including a handle, a latching projection on said handle, a handle shank connected to said handle said handle including a hub encircling said handle shank, an escutcheon plate having an opening through which a portion of said hub extends a generally U-shaped locking lever pivotally connected to said handle to straddle said hub, and locking shoulders connected to said escutcheon plate and engageable with opposite sides of said locking lever in one pivoted position thereof.

2. The construction described in claim 1 and in which said locking lever is pivotal between two extreme posi tions, and including resilient means for engaging said locking lever for holding the same in either extreme position.

3. The construction described in claim 1 and in which said locking lever is pivotally connected to said handle by means of a pivot extending through said hub and including means encircling said pivot engageable with said handle shank for holding said handle shank connected to said handle.

4. The construction described in claim 1 and in which said handle shank extends into an aperture extending through said hub, and in which said handle shank terminates in spaced relation to the outer surface of said handle, a spring in said aperture outwardly of said handle shank, and a sphere in said aperture urged against said locking lever by said spring.

5. A door latch including a handle, said handle including a hub about which said handle may pivot, a locking projection forming a part of said handle, an escutcheon plate having an opening therethrough through which a portion of said hub extends, a reinforcing plate outwardly of said escutcheon plate and having a sleeve thereupon extending through said opening in said escutcheon plate, means on said sleeve anchoring said sleeve extending through said escutcheon plate, ear means on said reinforcing plate extending through said escutcheon plate, a handle shank extending into said hub and rotatable with said handle, a member on said handle shank and rotatable therewith and engageable with said ear mens to limit rotation of said handle, said member on said handle shank being held from longitudinal movement on said shank in one direction, and means securing said handle shank to said handle, said member on said handle shank holding said escutcheon plate and reinforcing plate connected to said handle.

6. The construction described in claim 5 and including an inner reinforcing member within said escutcheon plate resiliently engageable with said arm means on said outer reinforcing plate.

7. The construction described in claim 5 and including a generally U-shaped locking member pivotally connected to said handle to straddle said hub and in which said outer reinforcing member includes shoulder means, said U-shaped locking member being pivotally connected to said handle and engageable against said shoulder means in one pivotal position thereof.

8. The construction described in claim 5 and including a sleeve extending through said hub and through a portion of said handle shank and forming the means for securing said handle shank to said handle, and including a generally U-shaped locking lever straddling said hub, a pivot extending through said sleeve and pivotally sup porting said locking lever to said hub, and shoulder means on said outer reinforcing plate engageable with said locking lever in one pivotal position thereof.

9. A door latch including a handle having a latch projection thereon, a hub on said handle about which said handle may pivot, a hollow escutcheon plate having an opening therethrough through which said hub extends, an outer reinforcing member overlying said escutcheon plate and encircling said hub, a sleeve on said outer reinforcing member extending through said opening in said escutcheon plate, means on said sleeve anchoring said outer reinforcing member to said escutcheon plate, a pair of spaced arms on said outer reinforcing member in substantially right angular relation to said outer reinforcing member and extending through said escutcheon plate on opposite sides of said opening, a handle shank extending into said hub and rotatable therewith, a disc on said handle shank rotatable therewith, projecting means on said disc engageable with said spaced arms to limit rotation of said handle shank, a helical spring encircling said handle shank having its ends extending on opposite sides of one of said spaced arms, and an arm on said disc between the ends of said spring, said spring resisting rotation of said disc in either direction from a center position, said disc and spring being postioned wthin said hollow escutcheon plate.

10. The construction described in claim 9 and including means on said handle shank holding said disc from axial movement in a direction away from said handle hub.

11. The construction described in claim 9 and including an inner reinforcing plate within said hollow escutcheon plate.

12. The construction described in claim 9 and including an inner reinforcing plate within said escutcheon plate and resiliently supported by said spaced arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 923,091 Trask May 25, 1909 1,666,731 .Broomhall Apr. 17, 1928 2,801,869 George Aug. 6, 1957 

